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[The day of Pax’s Metahuman Announcement]
Spoken French or other languages will be italicized
The old cobblestone main street of Paris was packed with native Parisians and wandering tourists. At the early days of spring tourism was picking back up. An accident ground traffic to a standstill while at the first hour the honks of angry drivers filled the streets, now some drivers snuck from their cars long enough to stretch their legs or grab a coffee. Watching with little interest on her balcony overseeing the street was a young woman with light blue hair and eyes to match speaking on her phone. Wrapping a warm blanket around her shoulders to protect her from the chilly spring afternoon.
No matter the season fashion rarely stopped for anyone. For The Ambassador of the Fair Folk, she stuck to wearing a light linen dress in a mint green shade with a woolly shawl. She leaned against the balcony with only gold coloured bangles as accessories. Her teeth tugged at her pink lower lip, it was the only sign of concern she showed in regard to her phone call. Professionally manicured nails tapped against the railing. The railing and balcony itself was slowly but surely sprouting with signs of life while the bulbs she planted in the pots were poking up through the soft turned soil.
“
Does your master have any further requests of me?” She spoke in French connecting with a Fey thrall. His master was mute and insisted on autonomy while contacting The Ambassador. Often her work was sorting out and balancing the push of good and evil Fey in the city. Her objectivity to Fey factions or their alignments was crucial. They all owed her favours or boons for helping in one way or another.
“
Not at the moment, he only insists you are a show of force to the others to leave his family alone. The harassment has gone on for too long.” He said sounding distracted. “
One moment he is signing something else.”
The Ambassador waited patiently making eye contact with her Faerie Pact partner, Bach. He stepped up beside her, leaning in to listen to the conversation. At his full height he was a couple inches taller than The Ambassador at 6’0 feet. His hair was a mess with twigs and leaves of varying colours, his small horns were visibly poking underneath his bangs. His pointed ears and yellowy tinged green eyes were all signs pointing to his faerie race. He smelled of freshly turned Earth in his green longsleeved shirt and black pants.
“
He is using an excruciating amount of vague commands, My Lady. It sounds as if he wants you to take action as opposed to mediate.” Bach commented quietly ensuring his words were only heard by her.
She nodded in agreement having already come to the same conclusion.
“
He is also warning to bring your pact partner, Bach.” The thrall said after a moment.
The Ambassador assured the thrall, “
Bach will be with me, he rarely is anywhere else.” Her hand slipped into his while Bach grinned in response.
“
My master thanks you for your time. He assures you that a favour will be your reward.”
“
As we have already agreed upon. Tell your master I will be seeing you tomorrow.” The Ambassador said with a smile ending the call. Standing back upright she stretched the satisfying popping along her spine then down to her callused toes.
She returned to the inside of her posh condo, renovated and upgraded combining two smaller apartments from the previous building owners. Her home was spacious and well decorated. Everything was polished and clean thanks exclusively to her household spirit, Vienna. Who at the moment was busy in the kitchen making afternoon tea. For a young woman approaching the end of her twenties, she had everything one could hope for. A wonderful home, an accomplished career as a ballerina in Paris’ most prestigious ballet theater with a shot to become the next Prima Ballerina, to top it off was her expertise in magic. Rarely could such gifts be bestowed upon one person and even rarer when they used them to do good.
Bach followed behind his pact partner with ease he had known Odette Favre since she was a little girl and only in the recent seven or so years as The Ambassador. He was the sole reason for her magical power and talent having created a pact with her years ago when she was a teenager. The pact tethered their souls together allowing Odette have exclusive access to Bach’s well of magic while developing her own. He taught her everything he knew while providing her with everything she could ever want from a friend. The true price for such a deal is a private affair that is only shared between the participants of the pact. However, Odette fully believed she was the one that came out on top.
“
My Lady has had a full day of phone calls and rehearsal. Why not allow ourselves some time to relax?” He suggested gently slipping her smartphone from her hand. He put the phone nearby on the end table beside the couch taking her hand and leading her over.
“
Ourselves?” She said innocently knowing what he was implying her cheeks already coloured by blush her face and neck flushed.
He let a light chuckle bubble out of him, “
Yes, My Lady. May I?” Gesturing to her shawl.
She nodded her blue eyes fluttered shut, “
Please, do.”
He tugged it off her shoulders neatly folding it on the end table. Softly his fingertips brushed her almost bare shoulders he leaned forward meaning to leave a trail of kisses. The sound of the door being hammered against pulled their attention away.
Bach looked irritated glaring at the door knowing exactly who would invite themselves over without a word.
“
Maybe later tonight, Kendra is here.” She said apologetically.
Bach grumbled, “
What is the point of having a household spirit if they can’t ward off uninvited visitors?”
“
Vienna! Wherever you’re hiding to procrastinate on your chores I need to speak to you immediately.” He called out in common Fey meaning to take out his irritation on the hapless household spirit. He stomped away not before giving her a peck on the cheek. He disappeared into the kitchen.
Odette sighed fanning at the burning in her cheeks. The insistent knocking continued and Kendra would have knocked the door down knowing full well her friend was in there, having read a tweet from ten minutes ago.
“
Yes, I’m here!” Odette called then padded to the door. Unlocking it Kendra swooped in with a short bonjour!
“
It is absolutely astonishing for how often I’m here it never fails to smell like a greenhouse.” She commented not looking up from her phone while she finished writing a text.
Odette shrugged not surprised in the least by Kendra’s behavior, “
While I hardly notice.”
Kendra finished her text then stowed her phone away to give Odette a customary kiss on each cheek. She was wearing a light pink hijab in a white tank top and white transparent shirt while she had a black spring jacket in a pair of stonewashed jeans. Her eye makeup was always done with expert hands it was rare to see her barefaced but Odette and Kendra had known each other for so long that being barefaced around each other was a mark of their comfort levels.
“
I thought you’d be home already after rehearsal.” Odette commented lightly, “
I was just about to have some afternoon tea.”
“
Whatever it is I hope it's warm, spring has sprung but the winter winds just blow right through you still.” Kendra replied sitting down at the couch finally noticing the fading flush in Odette’s cheeks. “
I was in the neighbourhood and once I saw the traffic I figured I could pop in for a bit to wait it out here.”
Odette nodded then disappeared into the kitchen to grab the tea tray. Noticing Vienna was trying to ignore Bach’s verbal lashings while she served up another cup of tea for their visitor. Carefully the household Fey poured through the ceramic teapot not spilling a drop. Her hair was tied back into a frizzy bun it was often how she wore her hair while she worked.
“
There we go. Just how My Lady likes it.” Passing Odette the tray topped with snacks and refreshments speaking in common fey. “
Mightly sorry about the unapproved guest, My Lady. Felt her coming up but knew it was Kendra, didn’t bother with a unwelcome charm.”
Odette had a soft spot for Vienna, she had her lazy streaks but did her best to keep her home clean and the food fresh. Odette couldn’t ask for more while Bach was much stricter in regards to how a household should be run. As an Earth Fey he really had no authority over how anything should be run but to Vienna he was an authority figure much like Odette.
“
Quite alright, Vienna. Thank you for the refreshments. Please go take your break for the afternoon.” Odette whispered then to Bach, “
You may as well give us some time alone, Bach. Kendra will be here for the afternoon.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets then carried on into his study to work without another word. Easily more flustered than mad.
Vienna bowed her head with a thank you then scurried off presumably to watch some TV.
Odette returned to the living room with the tray setting it down on the glass coffee table.
Kendra leaned forward picking up tea she sipped then visibly relaxed, “
I don’t know what you do but your tea is phenomenal. Speaking of- ” her smartphone back in her hand, “
Have you heard the news yet? America is going absolutely crazy, again.”
American news saturated French networks on a regular basis. Sometimes she felt she knew more about American news or politics than France’s.
“
What is it?”
“
Some mad scientist is creating these bubbles or whatever to give people superpowers!” Kendra said excitedly, “
Can you imagine getting superpowers? Forget being a prima ballerina, you could be a hero.”
It wasn’t the first nor would it be the last time Kendra wished for superpowers. It frankly bored Odette to hear about Kendra’s dreams of grandeur but didn’t stop her from talking about it. The news of metahumans springing up was a concern.
As for Paris things were routinely quiet the police still had no clues nor had indication of how to catch the elusive smuggling and kidnapping, no traces and no evidence left them with a very thin case. It was just how Odette liked to keep it as well as her associates within The Shroud Syndicate. She hadn’t heard a thing regarding the metahuman news nor much of anything but knew if Lost Haven was in need of her assistance she would be called. Until then she was happy to remain in Paris conducting business as usual. Paris was where she had the most available resources and power.
“
Then perhaps a quick trip to Lost Haven could make your dreams come true.” Odette laughed. “
I’ve seen you in spandex, Kendra and I can’t say I’d be impressed by your heroism enough to turn a blind eye to it.”
Kendra took one of Odette’s pillows then gave her a few good whaps, “
Always making fun of me! I would never stoop so low to wear spandex.”
They giggled and conversed for another couple of hours. Time spent with Kendra often made it slip by so quickly.
When night had fallen Kendra bid her friend goodnight. Odette walked her down to the street whispering a protective charm to envelope her, hopefully allowing her to walk home unharmed.
Odette then returned to her condo wearing a small smile. A text appeared on her smartphone and it was a summons to speak with her criminal associates. Perhaps another smuggling job or kidnapping a target’s family member, such jobs or flights of morality barely registered on her compass.
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